Star Wars: The Prodigal Knight Reborn
by Fanofallthethings
Summary: The Chosen One meets the Prodigal Knight, and the fate of the galaxy changes forever. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: That's right, I'm **_**still**_ **not updating Ravager. I've been busy at work, and decided to plan the next phase more thoroughly than I have so far (planning is not my strong suit. I just kinda… go). Anyways, I had this idea and had to write it. Like my other Star Wars fic, this is Legends + Clone Wars TV show except anything related to Mandalore. Still annoyed with Filoni about that bullshit. Oh, and none of that inhibitor chip shit either. Clones follow orders cause they're soldiers, not cause they're forced to, goddamnit Filoni. Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter One - Daze of Hate, Knight of Anger**

Anakin Skywalker knelt before Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, Darth Sidious, in front of the window Mace Windu had hurtled out of moments before. "I am yours… Master."

The badly deformed Sith smiled over him. "Then rise, my apprentice. My Darth Vader," he pronounced. "You have proven your loyalty by destroying the traitorous Jedi. But the remainder will be left to those better suited to the task."

"What would you have me do, my Master?" The former Jedi asked.

"We have many enemies we must destroy," Sidious said. "Some here on Coruscant, others throughout the galaxy. The Seperatist leaders on Mustafar must be dealt with, but first I have a task to prove yourself truly fallen to the Dark Side."

"But you said I had already proven myself." The petulant whine that had allowed Palpatine to ingratiate himself with young Skywalker was back, but it no longer served a purpose but to annoy.

"Proven your loyalty, yes. Not your worth," the Sith Lord snarled, and Vader jerked, surprised at the anger from the formerly kindly old man. "There can only be two, a Master and an apprentice. For too long I have tolerated the existence of another." Vader's breath caught as he realized what his new Master meant. "Maul has been allowed to live for far too long. Find and kill him. My spies last located him on the Rimworld of Raxus Prime. Begin there, and only return when the imposter is dead."

"As you wish, Master," Vader intoned. Sidious turned away, apparently dismissing him, and so the newly made Sith stood and left the chamber. He made his way to the landing pad outside and reboarded his hastily abandoned speeder, making his way not towards the Temple, but the military staging ground. He could see the flames from here and knew what was happening. He had killed Windu in the heat of the moment, his lightsaber removing first his hand, then his head before a force push sent the Jedi Master flying out the window. But he knew he didn't have it in him to kill more Jedi, some who he knew and liked. Not yet at least. Not before he was fully immersed in the Dark Side.

The city was in lockdown, between the recent Seperatist raid and the Jedi insurrection, and the skylanes were mostly clear except for the occasional GAR or CSF gunships patrolling the city. Anakin's speeder had a GAR transponder, one not tainted by any Jedi affiliations, so he passed unmolested and soon arrived at the staging ground. He had his choice of ships. His Eta-2 Actis interceptor was familiar, but not exactly a good pick for what could turn into an extended mission. Not enough space. The Twilight II was also available, but he hesitated. That was Anakin Skywalker's ship, and he was no longer Anakin Skywalker. Was he? No, not that ship. He stood there too long, pondering, but his thoughts were interrupted by a squad of clones jogging up to him, headed by Captain Rex.

"General," the captain called. "Good to see you in one piece. Heard you got into a dustup with Windu. What are your orders?"

Anakin paused a moment to wonder at the speed and efficiency of the clone rumor wheel, then snapped back into general mode. "What are you doing here, Rex?" he asked. "I thought all troops were being directed to the suppression operation at the Temple."

"We were headed that way when the call from the Chancellor came, sir," the man responded. "He told me to grab my best squad and meet you here."

Anakin looked at the men his Master had sent to him. Rex, of course, the second most competent clone commander. Even Rex admitted Cody had him beat. Sergeant Appo, silent but deadly. The ARC troopers Fives and Echo, Echo only recently recovered from his ordeal at Seperatist hands, but nevertheless ready and raring to go, his new cybernetics only enhancing his combat capabilities. Tup, Jesse, and Kix, a triple act ever since the loss of Dogma on Umbara. Truly the best of the already elite 501st Legion. A small smile crossed Vader's face. "Alright boys, listen up. We're going after Maul on direct orders of the Chancellor. The Jedi are being dealt with, and kill teams are being sent after the Seperatist leadership as we speak. Last known sighting was on the garbage world of Raxus Prime, so that's where we're headed. We'll take a light frigate. Rex, drum up a crew and let's get moving."

Anakin could sense the smile under his captain's helmet. "Already done, sir. Light frigate _Keeli's Vengeance _is crewed and ready to go. They're just waiting for us, General Vader."

So his new title had been spread to his men as well. Good. It would make the adjustment easier. "Then let's go hunting, shall we?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the short first chapter, it was 2300 and I was exhausted from work but needed to get **_**something **_**written. Now, obviously, I'm changing things from the get-go. Raxus in this story is most similar to how it is in the first Force Unleashed game. Hope y'all enjoy!**

**Chapter Two - Daze of Hate, Knight of Anger Pt. Two**

_Keeli's Vengeance _shivered out of hyperspace above Raxus Prime, and the pilot immediately had to punch up the shields as a piece of a destroyed Seperatist cruiser nearly smashed into them. Luckily, his quick reflexes meant it bounced away harmlessly. Darth Vader stood just behind the pilot and copilot, staring down at the garbage dump of the galaxy. The entirety of Raxus Prime was covered in trash, some piles big enough to be visible from orbit. He knew from past experience hunting another Sith, Dooku, that the ground was entirely covered in wreckage and noxious pools of fluids from thousands of sources. Drive coolant, plasma, and Force knows what else all mixed together in lethal concoction. It was down there that he hoped he would find Maul, sparing him the necessity of a drawn out pursuit.

Rex entered the cockpit behind him. "Sir, the men are ready to deploy," he said.

Some generals insisted on their officers and men saluting whenever they reported, but Anakin had never been one of them. He, Rex, and the 501st, especially Torrent Company, had been through too much together to be bothered by the niceties. Though perhaps he should, given his new position as second-in-command to the Emperor. No, these men had served him well for too long to force that on them. "Thanks, Rex," he said, then turned to the pilot. "Red Eye, take us in. You have the coordinates for the last sighting?"

"Aye, sir," the clone replied. "Taking us down."

It didn't take long to break atmosphere, the shields flaring briefly as they came into contact with the borderline corrosive upper atmosphere. They closed on the coordinates Sidious had provided, finding a landing site just a couple of kilometers away. In the distance was a tower built of junk, the last known abode of the former Sith. Vader and his seven clones disembarked from the _Vengeance_. A couple minutes of looking around at the platform they had landed on, and Vader opened a comm channel to Red Eye. "Take the _Vengeance_ up to orbit, pilot. We'll make contact when we need extraction."

"Copy that." The response came quickly, and the frigate lifted off the ground, quickly climbing back into the sky. Anakin turned towards his men, looking them over. They wore a modified version of their cold assault armor, rigged to keep out the toxins that plagued the surface of the planet. Anakin had opted from a simple rebreather mask, counting on the Force to warn him before he entered any zones toxic enough to damage him by contact. Something seemed slightly off about his men's armor, though he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Rex, were you issued new armor?" he asked.

"Yessir," Rex responded. "Brand new Katarn Mk IV armor. Lighter and sleeker than the old models, same protection plus a cortosis weave to screw with lightsabers and Force attacks. Don't really care for the new colors though."

Sure enough, now that Rex had said something, Anakin could see the differences. The armor was bulkier than their old Phase II armor, though not as bulky as the armor he had seen commandos wear. Rather than the old white, it was now a dull gray, though the troopers had already painted their personal markings on it. Rex's jaig eyes above the T-visor, Tupp's teardrop, and so on. "Cortosis weave?" Vader asked. "Interesting. I assume you have standard armor made the same?"

"Yessir," Rex said.

Anakin nodded. "Good to know. Let's get moving." The former Jedi set out towards the tower, still visible in the distance despite the mountains of trash between him and it. Based on the difficulty of the terrain and being slowed down by his troops, who would nevertheless prove extremely useful in a confrontation, he estimated it would probably take about an hour to cover two kilometers, a distance any of them could normally cover in less than ten minutes.

They were making their final approach to the tower when they were ambushed. A half dozen figures, wearing dark robes not dissimilar to the robes the Jedi wore burst from cover, two rushing forward while the remaining four hung back and opened fire with their blasters. Rex and his men dove for cover, miraculously avoiding being hit despite being caught off guard, and began to return fire, forcing the four to take cover themselves. The two closing in continued at a sprint, just ahead of the fire Kix and Tupp sent their way from their DC-15a blaster rifles. The two attackers carried no blasters, instead carrying traditional swords. These swords bore a sheen of energy on their cutting edge however, and seemed to vibrate slightly in their wielder's hands. Anakin took in this information as they closed, igniting his lightsaber and stepping out to meet them.

His first slash was met by the first foe's sword, which to his surprise stopped his saber cold. He had to bound backwards to avoid the second's strike, obviously capitalizing on his surprise. So he struck back immediately, not bothering to recover from his dodge. His hand jumped, firing bolts of lightning from his hand into both attackers. The nearer caught the brunt of the attack, and fell to the ground, steaming and twitching from the excess electricity. His presence in the Force quickly disappeared. The second attacker was only licked by the attack, staggering her only slightly. Vader quickly remedied the problem with a flying leap that ended with his lightsaber buried in her chest. She died without making a second attack, and Anakin turned towards the remaining four, his lightsaber up and ready, only to see corpses strewn where they had fallen, and his seven troopers standing around waiting for him to finish playing with his food.

"Good to go, General?" Fives asked, a hint of humor in his voice.

Vader nodded. "Keep moving. We have at least one more killing to get to, and probably more than that if these fools are anything to go by," he said, nudging the lightning-burned corpse with his toe.

"Copy that," Rex said. "Fireteam Alpha, move out."

The troopers started advancing, their weapons no longer dangling from weapons slings and now carried at ready low, stocks to shoulders but barrels aimed at the ground. They instinctively moved in a staggered line, heads and helmet sensors scanning back and forth for more hostiles. Anakin watched for a moment, than glanced back at the six corpses strewn in their path, scooped up one of the strange swords to have a look at, and followed his men towards the tower.

A few minutes study indicated that neither the energy on the blade nor the vibration were responsible for its lightsaber-deflecting capabilities, meaning that it was the material itself that warded the blade. It didn't appear to be anything Vader recognized, like cortosis as was in the clones' armor, or the _beskar_ the Mandalorians used in their armor. A mystery to be solved another time, he supposed as he slung the blade across his back in a sheath he had taken from the swords' former owner. But now they were at the base of the tower, and it was time to focus on the task at hand.

The portal was tightly shut, the flaps obviously set to iris apart like an expanding flower. Unfortunately, there was no control of any kind. The obvious solution was to use the Force, which Anakin did. The portal irised open, and hidden laser turrets instantly opened fire on the door and surrounding area. Just before they fired, Anakin sensed the danger and shouted for his men to hit the dirt. They dropped just as the first bolts hit, and Anakin reflexively jumped backwards… through the newly opened door, which immediately slammed shut behind him, a sudden burst of energy sealed the door shut, and based on what he had seen the walls were far too thick to break through without exhausting himself in the effort. There was no way out but forward, but first he needed to make sure his team was in one piece.

"Rex, status report," he said. Even with his recent… change of priorities, he couldn't keep the concern for his men, and yes, his friends out of his voice.

"All good, sir." The reply came quickly but unhurriedly. "The turrets stopped shooting pretty quick once Fives and Echo hit 'em with EMPs. Then a couple of those robes showed up, but they pretty obviously didn't expect us to still be fighting fit, so we have a few more corpses lying around. No casualties, minor burns only."

"Good," Anakin said, relieved. "Make camp and keep an eye out for more hostiles. The odds of me getting out his way or you getting are zero unless we call in fire support from the _Vengeance_. I'll deal with these robes and Maul myself, or escape and call in an air strike if necessary."

"Understood, General. Rex out." The line went dead, and Vader turned in towards the tower. The tower was hollow almost all the way to the top, with balconies circling the entire thing every about where a story would be on most buildings. There were probably a dozen of these balconies, leading up to a solid blockage sealing off the top of the tower.

Vader shrugged and gather the Force around him, leaping to the first of these balconies, activating his saber with its distinctive _snap-hiss_. Even before his feet came to rest on the next level, his saber snapped around to deflect a blaster bolt aimed at his head back its source, crumpling the attacker when his own bolt took him through the head. The saber flashed, decapitating a second foe he had landed nearly on top of, and then next several moments were a blur of deflecting blaster bolts and more of the strange swords, tearing the robed attackers to shreds. Finally, three balconies up, he managed to kill enough of them to provide some breathing room. He stood, breathing hard, his saber lit but resting at his side, glaring upwards at the nine remaining balconies between him and his goal.

Now that he thought about it, Maul's plan was brilliant. Twelve balconies full of enemies to slow down and tire out any attackers, before they even got to him. It would have worked. On a Jedi. But Vader was no longer a Jedi. And the more pissed off he got at Maul's cowardly tactics, the stronger he became. Already, his rage was powerful enough to make the balcony he stood upon shiver. This _fool_ thought to stop him, kill him, keep him from his wife and unborn child. Keep him from fulfilling his destiny and saving his wife from the threat in his dreams. And he would die for his arrogance.

Of course then a swarm of drones decided to interrupt his little session of hate building. He leapt, landing on the first drone to reach him as they all opened fire. He dragged his lightsaber through it chassis as he leapt the next one, repeating the action as he whipped his saber around at the rest of those around him, raining scrap metal from the sky. Half the drones were wrecked by friendly fire once he was in and among them, but more just kept coming from further up the building. He alternated between lashing out with his lightsaber and sending crackling bolts of lightning ripping through swatches of droids, and using telekinetic grips to smash them together. Though he had to admit that using the drones he was destroying as stepping stones towards the upper balconies was far more efficient than expending energy on the powerful Force leaps needed to ascend otherwise.

Running from drone to drone, destroying them and avoiding incoming blaster fire allowed him to ascend almost to the top, the last drone finally running out after nearly an hour of constant combat at the last balcony. Where three more of the robed figures waited, but unlike the previous these wore neither hoods nor masks. They were some kind of humanoid alien, with red skin and bone spurs that emerged from their eyebrows. Fleshy tendrils hung from their cheeks, dangling down to chin level. Their eyes were a sickly yellow, and Vader could feel the dark side coming off of them in powerful ways. They sat, cross legged, on the ground, much as Yoda often sat on his hover chair. Laid in front of each of them was one of the strange swords, though these were considerably more ornate than the one he carried from the first of these beings he had killed.

Vader was the first to speak. "Who and what are you?" he asked. He had never seen their like, except in old records, but that would mean…

"We are the True Sith," the one in the center spoke accented Basic, his voice deep and melodious. "Descendants of the Pureblood Sith and the first Dark Ones, rulers of the citadel of the ancient Sith. We came to aid one of our own against you, pretender, and your false Master."

"Impossible," Vader replied. "The Sith were wiped out over three thousand years ago, along with their Empire. YOU are the pretenders, and you will die if you stand between me and my prey."

The three Sith stood. "You are powerful, powerful indeed… Je'daii."

Vader howled with rage, hurling himself at them, lightsaber flying to hand, activating, and coming up for a massive, powerful, overhand slash at the center Sith. The Sith didn't even move his sword, instead using the Force to push the activation stud on the lightsaber, turning it off before it could connect. "If you wish to fight, do it as the ancestors of your tradition would," he said, lifting his blade in a salute, while the other two fanned out to either side, "with a blade in your hand." Anakin growled and slipped his lightsaber back onto his belt, reaching back and drawing the blade he had taken off the first Sith he had killed. The Sith sneered. "A _grotthu _(slave) blade," he said. "A warrior of your caliber deserves better. Take one from us if you can. It will allow you entry to the Imperial City."

Vader had questions, a thousand of them, but he could sense that these Sith would tell him nothing. So he chose to attack. He flung out his hands, a telekinetic blast flying from one hand and bowling the Sith to his left over, while lightning flew to his right, forcing the Sith on that side to raise his blade to absorb the lightning. Vader found that interesting. The only weapon he had ever seen do that was a lightsaber. But there was no time for that line of thought, as he was now on top of the Sith who had been doing the talking, and their blades danced together while the other two recovered.

Overhand, backhand, feint, thrust, parry, thrust, riposte. The blades clashed and shivered together, meeting again and again as the two went at it hammer and tongs. Slash, thrust, parry, feint, slash, dodge, duck, riposte, thrust. The blades danced around them, and Anakin was surprised to find that the sword, despite being longer and heavier than a lightsaber, handled almost as easily as his saber. Unfortunately, the other two recovered quickly and came back into the fray. Soon, Vader was backpedaling, deflecting blows from three sources and only rarely managing to attack himself. He stutterstepped backward, almost to the edge of the balcony, and when one of the Sith came in he ducked and used the Force to give him a yank, causing the Sith to topple onto his back, at which point he straightened up, sending the Sith toppling over the edge. He gave the other two a hefty Force shove, then turned and leaned over the edge, reaching out with the Force and grabbing the falling Sith's sword. He yanked it from his grasp and stabbed him through the chest with it, the Sith too busy trying to slow his fall to prevent it. Then he summoned the sword to his hand and turned to face the two remaining. The new blade had the same tech as the one he already had, but where the first was made of a darker metal, the new one was made of a bright, silvery material.

"You have managed to claim a sword of songsteel," came the melodious voice from behind him. "None would bar your entry to the Imperial City. Assuming you survive."

Anakin turned and looked at the survivors. "Honestly, what in the nine CORELLIAN HELLS is wrong with you. First, your two friends act like mutes, then I kill one and you just start yapping about the sword," he said. "You just keep making me angrier, and we all know what happens then."

The Sith merely smiled and raised his sword in a salute, the other mirroring the movement. Anakin sighed and charged, leading the way with a Force blast and engaging both Sith with a blade in each hand. A few more moments of combat, but with only two of them they were no match for a pissed off Sith Lord with years of combat training and three of those years spent fighting a brutal war. The second mute fell quickly, though the slave blade shattered in the doing. It proved to be no matter, as left on his own and tired from combat, the final Sith proved little match for Darth Vader. Within moments, the Sith leader was on his knees, his sword in Vader's off hand, and the two blades crossed at his throat. Much as Dooku had been mere weeks before. "Where is this Imperial City?" Vader interrogated him. "Where did you come from?"

The Sith merely smiled.

"Tell me!" Vader screamed, and when the Sith refused to respond he swept his head from his shoulders with same ease he would using a lightsaber.

Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, Jedi and Sith, stood on a balcony, with the corpses of several dozen Sith slaves, hundreds of destroyed drones, and three dead Sith scattered throughout the tower. He turned his face up, towards the solid ceiling, above which he could sense the malevolence of Maul, and felt fury surge through him. For the moment, he contained it, saving it and building it until his preparations were ready. He raised his commlink to his lips. "Rex."

"Still here, sir," the clone captain responded.

"Anything new to report?"

"Couple more bogeys, nothing we couldn't handle, General."

"Good. Make contact with Red Eye and withdraw to the extraction site. I'm going to take this tower down and I don't want to take you with it."

Rex paused for a moment, debating whether or not to object. "Copy that. Fireteam Alpha withdrawing. See you on the other side, sir."

"Solid copy, Rex. See you then."

Anakin Skywalker gave his men thirty minutes to get clear. Then Darth Vader summoned the anger he had been allowing to fester and grow for the entire time he had been making sure his men were taken care of, and _screamed_. The tower shook, to its very foundations. First to go was the ceiling, where the scream was really aimed, as much as you could aim a Force Scream. It shattered, great chunks raining down, tearing apart parts of the balcony he stood on and those below. The chunks above him were shattered to microscopic particles by the Scream, and in the center of the tower he saw a very surprised, very angry Zabrak with mechanical legs fall through the roof.

He ended the Scream abruptly, the entire tower falling apart around him, and flung himself out into the abyss, using the Force to sling massive chunks of junk and durasteel out of his way. He was so deep in the dark side, he fairly flew from chunk to chunk, pulverizing anything that stood between him and his quarry. Within seconds, he was on top of the Zabrak. The tattooed red and black creature clutched his lightsaber in one hand, and a Sith holocron in the other. He ignited his lightsaber, but Vader, deep in the hate, ripped it from his hand with irresistible Force. His own lightsaber leaped to hand, and he ignited it and shoved it through the Zabrak's chest, gripping the holocron with other and calling it to his hand. He shoved it in a belt pouch, then swept Maul's head from his shoulders with a single swipe of his lightsaber.

An hour later, he staggered onto the landing site, Rex and Kix instantly leaving their guard positions beneath the frigate to come and catch him. He was barely standing, exhausted after the massive expenditure of energy. Rex slipped an arm under his shoulders, supporting him to the lowered ramp of _Keeli's Vengeance_. Fives poked his head up from the north, where he had established an overwatch position with a DLT-19x sniper rifle, the same as the other five spaced around the landing site, but Rex waved him down back into position. Rex and Kix had been stationed to either side of the boarding ramp with DC-15s blaster rifles, and as they approached the ship Red Eye appeared on the ramp with a DC-15a blaster ready but not leveled. He took one look at Anakin and spoke to Rex. "Need a hand getting him to the medbay?" he asked.

Anakin could sense all of their concern over his state, but he shook his head. "Not medbay," he gasped. "Comms room. Then leave me alone to contact the Chancellor."

Rex and Kix shared a look. Their general obviously needed medical attention, but they kriffing well knew how stubborn he could be. "Yes sir," Rex said. "Oh, and he's the Emperor now. The Republic has been dissolved and replaced with the Galactic Empire."

Anakin stiffened a moment at the mention of the word Empire, then nodded tiredly. "Thanks, Rex. I swear, as soon as I've reported in I'll let you drag me to the medbay kicking and screaming."

Rex smiled under his helmet. It was good to know that even with the events of the last few weeks his old general was still in the damaged young man hanging off his shoulder. "Copy that, general."

The clones helped him into the communications room, then left him alone. Vader knelt on the transmission plate once had programmed in the contact, waiting for it to go live. "My apprentice," the hologram hissed as soon as it was live. "How goes your hunt for the Zabrak?"

Anakin came to a decision. "He had fled Raxus Prime, Master," he began. "He left behind a mercenary company from his criminal empire, which ambushed us. My unit is intact and we are prepared to continue our pursuit. My captain secured a terminal which we believe will have data on Maul's plans."

Sidious spoke. "Very well, my apprentice," he said, and Anakin felt relief rush through him that the Sith Lord had bought his lie. "Continue your hunt. Do not make contact or return until you can tell me of your success." He left the second part unspoken. Do not return if you fail, even if you survive.

"As you wish, my Master," Vader said, and the hologram cut out. He debated for a moment, then keyed the console for a voice only connection.

A moment later a sweet voice that instantly relaxed the him came through. "Hello?" it asked. "Who is this? How did you get this comm code?"

"Padme," he said quietly.

"ANAKIN!" she fairly shouted down the ship. "Are you alright? Where are you? Everything has gone insane, Palpatine declared himself Emperor, and…"

"Padme, darling, please calm down," he said, slumping into the nearest chair. "I'm fine, just tired. I can't tell you where I am, but I'm hunting Maul. He needs to be brought down to secure Palpatine's new Empire. Don't worry, everything will be fine. It's just a reorganization until the galaxy is secure." He winced slightly at lying to his wife, but soldiered on. "I just needed to hear your voice. How are you? How's the baby?"

Her voice changed instantly, the notes of panic and fear muted, not gone, but far less than they had been. "I'm fine, Anakin. And there's news on the baby. Since the Jedi are… gone," he could hear the wince in her voice, "I thought it would be safe to go to a doctor. Anakin… it's twins."

That floored him. He had hardly had time to come to terms with the idea that he would be a father, but now it was twins. "Twins?" he asked faintly.

"Ani…" she began, but he cut her off.

"Padme," he said, "this is the second happiest day of my life. I swear I'll love them as much as I love you. Take care of yourself. I… I have to go now, before the trail goes cold. I love you."

She was quiet for a moment. "I love you too, Ani. Stay safe."

A small grin crossed his face. "When am I ever?" he joked, then hurried to reassure her. "I swear I will be. I have three reasons to come home safe now, not just two. I'll see you soon."

Anakin cut the communication, then called out. "Rex, I know you're listening. I'm ready to start with the kicking and screaming," he said. The captain entered the room and grabbed Anakin's proffered forearm, hauling him to his feet and sliding his arm under his general's shoulders. Anakin groaned in pain from the dozens of bruises covering his arm. "Rex, you are, quite possible, my best friend in the galaxy at this point," he said. "Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are probably dead or know that I sided with Sidious. Everyone else is dead. All I have left is you seven." He was surprised at how quickly hid mood had turned morose, but he shrugged it off. "Take off your helmet and look me in the eye, soldier."

Rex hesitated, then did, sliding the helmet off his head his head with the hand not supporting Anakin and looked the older man in the face. "General… no, this is personal," he said. "Anakin. I'm your subordinate, and I've followed you through literal hell. Multiple times. But that was only because you were my officer. I watched your back, backed your play, and put my men in harms way to make sure you stayed safe because you are my friend. And honestly, I've seen most of your worst impulses." Anakin started to object, but Rex cut him off. "What I haven't seen, I've heard about. You really think we didn't know about you and the Senator?" he continued. "We're clones. We read the smallest nuances of body language to tell each other apart. We can tell when two people like each other, sir. But my point is this: I know almost everything worth knowing about you, and I've seen most of the best and worst bits of you. And I, and those six men in this fireteam, and Red Eye, and the entire crew of this frigate, would follow you into Wild Space if you asked us to. End of story."

Anakin stared at him open mouthed for a moment, his eyes shining. Then his mouth snapped close and he nodded at the clone captain. "Thank you Rex," he said. "Now get me to the medbay. I have a holocron to decode."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three - A Tale of Two Empires**

Anakin sat in the medbay of _Keeli's Vengeance_, the Sith holocron he had taken from Maul's corpse in front of him on the cot. The data it spilled out in holographic form confirmed what the Sith in the tower had said. The Sith Empire was alive and well, holding sway on the edge of the known galaxy, and if the records were to be believed, well into Wild Space. The only check on their power seemed to be a species he had never even heard of, the Chiss. And if these ancient Sith had linked up with Maul, they seemed to be getting ready to push back into Republic… no, now it was Imperial, space. This could not be allowed. Any chance at stability, at having a safe galaxy to raise his children in rested on Palpatine's Empire succeeding. There was only one thing for it.

He had been resting for about twelve hours in a Jedi healing trance. Funnily enough, he had never quite managed that before he delved into the dark side. He lifted the comms unit that normally sat on the underside of his right bracer to his lips from its resting place on the small medical table next to his cot. "Rex, come down to the medbay?"

The response came after a brief pause. "On my way, General." A few moments later, Anakin heard booted feet come to a stop outside the door, and it hissed open. Rex stood in the doorway, sans helmet and armor, wearing only his armored boots and the ubiquitous red fatigues of the GAR. That, at least, hadn't changed. "Got our next target?"

Anakin could hear the question behind the question, asking why they were still in the Outer Rim when the mission they had been sent to accomplish was completed. He would explain, in due time. "Yup," he said. "I hope you were serious about you all following me into Wild Space, because we're headed halfway there."

"I was, sir." The reply came immediately, but there was a note of hesitation to it.

"Rex, if you have a question, ask."

"Yes, sir," Rex said, then was quiet for a moment, obviously pulling together what he felt he needed to say. "Sir, we'll follow you, no questions asked, if that's what you need us to do. That said, some answers would be… helpful. In understanding why we're lying to the Emperor, directly defying orders, and where _exactly_ we're going and what we'll be doing when we get there." It all came out in a rush, and Anakin could see Rex internally wincing at his perceived disrespect.

"You're right, Rex," he said. "I owe you answers. Gather the crew in the conference room in ten minutes and I'll explain everything that I can."

Rex nodded, seemingly mollified for now. "Will do. Anything else you need?"

Anakin thought for a moment before responding. "Any news on Yularen's battle group and the rest of the 501st?" The rest of the unit had been deployed with Ahsoka, taking the fight to Maul's Shadow Collective when Anakin and his squad had been kept on Coruscant.

"They went dark a few hours after Order 66 went out, General," he responded. "The last communication from the Admiral indicated that Ahsoka had escaped to the surface and the Collective was setting up jamming gear and settling in for a siege."

Anakin's lips quirked in a smile. He knew his men and his former apprentice too well to believe that story. "So the fleet sided with their friend and are trying to figure out what to do next?"

"Probably," Rex admitted.

"Gather the men. I have a call to make. The fleet's last known location was Dantooine, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. I'll see you all soon."

Rex nodded and left the room, and Anakin picked up his comm unit again, patching into the ships long-range communications gear. "All 501st and Open Circle fleet units, this is General Anakin Skywalker. Respond on this band. All 501st and Open circle fleet units…"

After several minutes of repeating this message, the hologram projector on his wrist comm came to life, resolving into the figure of Admiral Yularen, who bowed stiffly before speaking. "Lord Vader, I apologize for taking so long to respond…"

"Can it, Admiral," Anakin said. "We've known each other for too long to change how we work together now. What's the situation on the ground, and how's my apprentice doing?"

Yularen didn't stiffen in a way that would be noticeable to a non-Jedi, or anyone who hadn't spent three years around an entire army of near-identical clones. Unfortunately for the admiral, Anakin was both of these. "General, I'm sure I don't know anything about your apprentice currently."

"Don't lie to me, Yularen," Vader said, an edge of anger intruding in his voice. "I want to know how my men are doing, and I want to know how my apprentice is doing. Order 66 only applies to Jedi, and last I checked Ahsoka had left the Order."

Yularen still appeared suspicious, but he recovered what little of his professional decorum he had lost and responded quickly and precisely. "The Shadow Collective has been eliminated, their leaders either dead or in custody. The Death Watch remnants working for Maul have been obliterated, and those who turned against him have been returned to Mandalorian custody. Ahsoka is currently on the front, leading clean-up operations against a few remaining Pike and Hutt gangsters. We expect the last of those operations to be complete in a matter of hours. She should return to the fleet then."

"Good," Vader said. "Losses?"

"Minimal, sir," Yularen responded. "Minor cuts, bruises, and burns among assault teams, a half-dozen fatalities, mostly new intake from the Centax facilities, and about thirty with more serious injuries requiring bacta treatment. All but two are expected to pull through with no issue. The other two will require cybernetic limb replacements."

Anakin blew air through his nose, relieved at the relatively small losses despite assaulting prepared positions. "Understood, Admiral. Order all troops to withdraw from the planet as soon as operations are complete and prepare to deploy to an unspecified target."

"As ordered, General," Yularen said. "Will this new location be hostile?"

"Unknown. Standard operating procedures apply."

"Shoot first and ask questions later?"

"I told you nothing would change, after all."

"Very good, sir. Will you be rendezvousing with the fleet before deployment?"

"Expect our arrival in about six hours, at which point I will provide the new target and brief senior officers on the mission."

"Aye, General." Yularen saluted crisply, then the transmission cut off as the admiral went to carry out his orders.

Anakin glanced at his chrono, sighed, and lifted himself off the cot, making his way to the conference room at the core of the ship. All seven of his soldiers, along with the frigate crew were waiting for him when he arrived. When he walked in, the crew stood up and snapped to attention, while his troopers merely straightened up from where they had been lounging. Anakin looked at the rigid Navy troopers, amusement dancing over his features. "At ease, men. And buckets off," he said.

The squad were all stripped down to their fatigues, and simply sat down in chairs around the circular table at the center of the conference chamber. The ship's crew, most in the grey naval fatigues, doffed their hats, while Red Eye and his copilot removed the helmets from their pilots armor. Anakin moved to an open seat at the table, dropping into it with a sigh from his still-sore body.

"What I say doesn't leave this room unless I authorize it," Anakin began. "Clear?" He was met by a chorus of nods and verbal agreement. "We're off the reservation now. Command can't know what we're up to from this point forward. As you all know, our mission was to hunt down and kill Darth Maul. I accomplished that mission on Raxus Prime, but found evidence of a Sith Empire existing out in the Outer Rim."

Fives raised his hand. "Sir, just to clarify, you mean an Empire separate from ours?"

Anakin nodded at the ARC trooper. "Exactly."

Echo chimed in next. "So why not tell Command, General?" he asked. "Get the rest of the 501st and the Open Circle and take the fight to them?"

Anakin looked at his men, making eye contact with each of them before responding. "That's a good question, Echo, and I wish I had a good answer. But honestly? All I have is a feeling that we should do this on our own, loop in Yularen and _Resolute_'s fleet but no one else."

It was Dogma who spoke up this time. "Force feeling or gut feeling?"

Anakin had to think for a moment. "A bit of both."

"Good enough for me."

Anakin blinked in surprise. While Dogma didn't usually question orders directly from his General, he also generally kept an eye out for anything that could go wrong. Another example of the faith his men had in him, if he had needed it. "That's good to hear, Dogma. Our current objective is to link up with Yularen's fleet, then proceed to a world on the very edge of known space called Dromund Kaas. Red Eye, prep for a jump to…" As he spoke, the commlink on his gauntlet started chirping. He had linked it to the ship's comm center for ease of use, and now a call was coming through from the hyperwave transceiver. "Go for Skywalker."

"General, this is Admiral Yularen. We have completed mop-up operations and have received new orders. The fleet will not be able to split from tasking to aid you, sir. I apologize, however there is another, smaller fleet in the area that may be able to assist you. We will link up with them briefly before beginning our next assignment, and if you can meet with us we can transfer over your apprentice and the rest of Torrent Company."

"Understood, Admiral. What can you tell me about the other fleet?" Anakin asked.

"The ranking officer is Captain Gilad Pellaeon, sir," Yularen responded. "He commands four Venators after the fleet flagship was destroyed during an operation to allow General Kenobi to invade Utapau."

"Is he reliable?" Anakin asked.

"I have only met the man once myself, sir. Your captain has spent more time with him, I believe, and your apprentice seems to consider him trustworthy."

Ahsokha's seal of approval was definitely a point in this Pellaeon's favor, but Anakin looked over at Rex for a second opinion. All of his men had been listening in, with the exception of Red Eye and his copilot, who had retreated to the cockpit to prepare for the next leg of their journey. Rex nodded his approval, and Anakin looked back to the small hologram of the older admiral. "We'll take it, Admiral. Where's the rendezvous point?"

"Mustafar."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four - Once More Into the Breach, My Friends**

_Keeli's Vengeance_ dropped out of hyperspace over the burning world, a flotilla of _Venator-_class Star Destroyers floating between the small frigate and the planet. Anakin was standing in the cockpit, hand braced on the back of the pilot and copilot seats when the holopad on the console flickered to life. "Incoming frigate, this is _Resolute_. This is an active war zone. Transmit clearance codes or we _will_ open fire," the image of a clone naval officer seated at his console told them.

Vader nodded at Red Eye to transmit, then leaned into the transmitter's pickup range. "This is General Skywalker. Transmitting codes now. I expect a berth on Pellaeon's flagship to be made ready for my men and a docking area for the _Vengeance_."

"Clearance code received. I'll pass on your orders to the deck commander, sir," the officer responded. "Captain Pellaeon's vessel is the _Harbinger_, transmitting docking codes to your nav computer now."

Red Eye took back over. "Docking codes received, control. Entering restricted space now."

"You're clear, _Vengeance_. Admiral Yularen requests General Vader's presence for a strategy meeting aboard _Resolute_ at 1800 hours."

Vader leaned back into pickup range, checking the chrono on the sensor board as he did. It was 1721 currently. "I'll take on of _Harbinger_'s shuttles over shortly. Inform the Admiral."

"Aye-aye, sir," the clone trooper said, and the hologram blanked out.

"Red Eye, take us in," Anakin said.

"As ordered, General."

The frigate passed by the Open Circle destroyers, seven of them in all, and approached the cluster of four. Three formed a triangle around the fourth, and the center battleship was the one that they moved towards. As they approached, the dorsal hangar doors opened to admit them, and Red Eye guided the vessel in seemingly effortlessly. While they angled into a landing slot, Vader made his way to the boarding ramp, standing by for it to open. The rest of his ground assault force joined him, back in their familiar armor, with certain differences. The former white of their armor had been traded for a dark gray, and the blue striping identifying them as members of the 501st had taken on a darker hue. The armor was slightly thicker, much like the armor they had worn on Raxus, and the helmet shape had changed some. The small fin atop the helmet was gone altogether, and the T-slit had lost its distinctive shape, instead consisting simply of the eye slit without the downward, branching area. Even Rex had traded out his personalized hybrid helmet for the new armor. The blue flashes from their old armor had once again been carried over, most likely in direct violation of the new, stricter regulations.

Vader himself had changed wardrobe as well, exchanging the Jedi robes he had continued to wear on Raxus for a black tunic and pants with a similar cut to a naval officer's uniform. Dark colored armor plates from the ship's armory covered his upper body, arms, and legs. Armored boots covered his feet, and he wore a black, hooded cloak over all of it. His lightsaber hung in its accustomed place at its hip, and a small medpac sat on the other side of his belt.

As the ramp swung down, a small group of troopers became visible, flanking a mongrel officer in a naval captain's uniform. These trooper's armor had yet to be switched for a new pattern, and the orange flashes identified them as members of the 212th. Kenobi's unit. Anakin felt a welter of emotions begin to build within him, but he quickly slapped them down. There was a job to do here. He could use the repressed… whatever he was feeling to fuel the dark side when he needed it later. The captain spoke up. "Lord Vader, I am Captain Pellaeon. This task force is yours to command, sir."

"Thank you, Captain," Vader said. Then, remembering what his apprentice and Rex had told him about the man in front of him, continued. "You can dispense with the titles, Captain," Anakin said. "I still owe you one for your part in keeping my apprentice and my men safe after the Jabba incident."

Pellaeon blinked, surprised. It wasn't often that someone with a noble title told a ships captain that he could forego the former's title. "Of course, General," he said, then turned and called for another non-clone officer. "Ensign! Show the General's men to their quarters."

"Aye, sir," the ensign gestured for Rex and his men to follow, and after a confirming nod from Anakin they left, leaving Anakin alone with Pellaeon.

"What has Yularen told you about my purpose here?" Anakin asked.

"Not much, General," the captain responded. "I know that my Destroyers have been tasked to provide you with support, and we'll be shipping aboard a company of 501st troopers, in addition to the 212th Airborne troops we retrieved from Utapau. Other than that I was only told to ensure that the task force was ready for battle."

"Well, then. I suppose we had better get to _Resolute _so I can brief you and the Admiral in."

"Aye, sir."

A hop, skip, and a jump later, Anakin strode through the familiar hallways of the Star Destroyer _Resolute_, Captain Pellaeon a half foot behind him. When they arrived at the conference chamber directly below the bridge, Yularen was waiting for them, a pair of 501st troopers standing guard at the door. The troopers nodded as they stepped inside, and then moved in front of the door as it hissed closed behind them.

Vader stepped forward immediately, plugging his datapad into the holoprojector in the middle of the room while the two naval officers at down in the chairs arranged around it. The projector blossomed to life, revealing a dark, storm-covered planet, data on it scrolling next to it. "This is Dromund Kaas, a world on the edge of the Outer Rim. It has been out of Republic, or now Imperial, control since I know not when, and the reason for that is simple: there is an Empire run by practitioners of the dark side of the Force based off of that planet that stretches out into Wild Space. I intend to take Captain Pellaeon's task force to that world and destroy their leaders, hopefully decapitating their ability to expand into Imperial space."

Yularen cleared his throat before speaking. "Sir, if this threat is as dangerous as you seem to believe, would it not better to request support and more ships and soldiers from Imperial Center?"

Anakin shook his head. "That was my first thought, Admiral, but I can sense that that course of action would not end well for the Empire."

"Understood, sir."

"If you don't mind my asking, General, how did you come by this information?" Pellaeon asked.

"I was sent to kill Darth Maul by the Emperor," Vader responded. "He had allies from this Sith Empire, and when I killed him I recovered a holocron detailing all the information I've given you. My plan is simple. According to the data I received, these false Sith only respect strength. Therefore, we will jump into the system, annihilate whatever planetary defenses they have, and then land a small force outside of their capital. I possess a weapon that will grant myself and my retainers access to the city, and after gaining access we will find the Prophets, as they call themselves, and kill them all. The relevant tactical data is included in the data scroll. Review it and come to me with any suggestions. Now. Yularen, would you care to tell me what is so important that the fleet can't possibly join me in striking at this other Empire?"

"The remaining Seperatist leaders, sir," the admiral said. "We have direct orders from the Emperor to eliminate them. He wants their heads on his desk, literally, which means ground assault. The refinery they've holed up in is extremely well defended, and we are looking for a way to bring down its shields without taking catastrophic losses."

"I'll look over the data from your scans, see if I can figure out a way in. If you two will look through the data on Dromund Kaas' defenses, we can reconvene in an hour," Anakin told them.

"Of course, General," Pellaeon said. "May I ask, are you certain this data is accurate?"

"As accurate as its creator could make it, Captain. I didn't have a chance to question Maul while I buried my lightsaber in his chest, but he was trained by my Master and I imagine he would be as thorough as he was trained to be. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that according to this data, the defensive stations are nearly three thousand years old, sir. How are they even still functional?"

"Force only knows, Captain. But now you understand why I am willing to fight this battle with only four Star Destroyers. I will be on the bridge examining your battle plans for the time being."

Darth Vader turned and strode from the briefing room, his cloak flapping behind him as he made his way to the lift up to the bridge. When the lift doors slid open, a naval officer and a pair of marines, their armor unmarked by any unit flashes, saw him waiting and exited the elevator with all haste. The large man in dark armor and clothes cut an intimidating figure. He rode the lift up, exiting as soon as the doors slid open. One of the sensor operators in the control pit glanced up as he entered, then jumped out of his chair and snapped to attention. "Officer on deck!" he yelled.

Every single officer, trooper, and even the MSE cleaning droids stopped what they were doing, coming to attention, or, in the case of the mouse droid, hiding under a console. "Return to your duties, men," Vader said, then headed for the sensor operator who had first seen him. "Ops, I need all data on the installation the Separatists are using as a base."

"Aye, sir," the officer responded. "Give me just a moment to transfer the relevant information to a datatape." The sailor worked quickly and efficiently, and within moments was extending a small disc to Vader. "All data on the site in question, sir. If you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them."

"Is there anything you believe I should know, sailor?" Anakin asked.

"Sir." The officer pulled up some information on his terminal. "There are actually two shields around their base, my lord. The first shield, and the main problem is the defense shield. The only way to take it down would be a ground assault with walkers or an orbital bombardment. The ground assault won't work due to the heavy lava flow in the area, and we are forbidden to initiate a bombardment per the Emperor's orders."

"And the second shield?" Vader asked.

"The second shield is a heat shield, the generators of which are set just outside of the defense shield. If we blow those, they would be forced to evacuate. Unfortunately, we have neither sufficient ships to tractor in all of the escape vessels nor precise enough weapons to disable them in the time before they achieve hyperspace velocity."

"What about fighters?" the Sith lord said.

"Our fighter complement is still severely reduced following heavy losses at the Battle of Coruscant, sir."

"Then what is your recommendation to achieve victory here?"

The sensor officer didn't even hesitate. "Siege, sir. They can't have more than a few months of supplies in there, and there is no longer a force capable of breaking a blockade of seven Star Destroyers anywhere else in the galaxy."

"Excellent analysis," Anakin said. "I'll relay your recommendation to the Admiral."

The officer's face stiffened momentarily in surprise, before he stood up and saluted again. "Yes, sir. Thank you sir," he said.

Anakin couldn't help but smile. "At ease, trooper. Now get back to work, the war's not quite over yet."

As Anakin exited the pit, the lift door hissed open once again, admitting the Admiral and Vader's new ship captain. Three clones in naval captains uniforms walked behind them. He intercepted them close to the door, unwilling to further disrupt functions on the bridge. "Admiral, Captain," he acknowledged.

Yularen inclined his head, while Pellaeon acknowledged verbally. "Sir," he began. "These are the captains of the other three Destroyers in our task force. Captain Singul," he gestured to the first man, who had a black hole tattooed on his temple and his hair shorn off, "Captain Dare," the second captain's face was a mess of scar tissue, a large amount of fine, white lines scoring from the right side of his forehead to the left side of his chin, "and Captain Maw." The last captain had no scars or distinguishing tattoos, but his hair had the pair of short mohawks several commanders had adopted over the course of the war.

Anakin stepped forward, reaching out and grasping forearms with each of the captains in turn. "Good to meet you all," he said. "If you'd follow me to the briefing room, I'll brief you in on the operation." They quickly headed back down the lift, and once again ensconced in the briefing room Anakin gave the three new captains the information they needed to do their jobs, operational details only and leaving out the reasons why they weren't contacting Command. They were experienced soldiers and didn't question it. The briefing out of the way, he turned back to his long-time naval counterpart and the task force commander. "Any suggestions on improving the plan?" he asked.

The two glanced at each other, then Yularen responded. "The plan is sound, sir. We simply outlined a general plan of action and list of possible scenarios for your men to drill while in transit. Our research indicated that it should take about three days at flank speed to make it to Dromund Kaas, plenty of time to prepare for the eventualities we've outlined."

"Thank you, Admiral," Anakin said. "Captain, is the fleet ready to depart?"

"Aye, sir," Pellaeon responded. "Torrent Company is embarked on the _Harbinger_, along with your apprentice, and the 212th units are spread across the _Hunter_, Singul's command, the _Risk_, Dare's command, and _Resistance_, Maw's command."

"Ah," Anakin said. With all that was going on, he had almost forgotten he was going to have to have a talk with Ahsokha. He wasn't looking forward to that. "I'll be… inspecting the troops, then." He turned and walked out of the briefing room, making his way to _Resolute's _hangar bay, where the shuttle he had taken from _Harbinger_ was still waiting. It was the work of moments to fly back to his current flagship, and when the shuttle set down he was confronted by a small, very angry Togruta.


End file.
